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This local leader of the town of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon described enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted hearing reports of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel challenges.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, situated in the severely affected southwest parish of the area, is without running water and power, and most structures have had their roofs. One official previously characterized the town as flooded, with over 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he adds.

National leadership has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous task to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.